Monday, January 11, 2016

Christmas Linocut - The linocutting process at high speed!

Just as an experiment, I decided to download an app (Lapse It Pro) to film the linocutting process using time lapse photography. As you sit in the one place for so long, the resulting films are not too bad! Here are the different stages of producing a linocut - in this case, my Christmas card for 2015, based on the 'Twelve Days of Christmas'.

1. Tracing your imageIn the film below, you can see me tracing the image I created - this is the first stage of creating a linocut.

2. Transferring the image onto linoOnce you have traced your image, you flip over the tracing paper, and rub the image onto a piece of lino. It is very important that you go over the pencil lines with a permanent 'Sharpie' marker, otherwise you will wipe all your pencil lines off.

3. Cutting the linoHere you can see me cutting out the partridge at the top of the design. Most of the work lies in cutting the lines to define the images - followed by clearing the areas around it. I also work on different areas to create pattern - in this case, the texture of the feathers. I use very sharp Swiss cutting tools for this part of the process.

4. Trimming the linocutMany of my linocuts are a particular shape - in this case, a large pear. This is me working on the final parts of the image still to be cut out, followed by trimming the linocut with a craft knife. There is a starring role featuring my daughter who came to sit on my knee.

5. The final linocut

You can see below the final linocut - the lino itself is green, and the markings on it are from the Sharpie pen. In total, this linocut, which fits a piece of A4 paper, probably took 10 hours to produce including design, drawing and cutting time. For more information about my linocuts go to Three Bears Prints.

About Me

I'm Marliese Richmond and I run the Three Bears Prints Company (www.threebearsprints.com), producing characterful, hand-crafted prints. Each original design is inspired by wildlife, stories or poems. Traditional and modern print making techniques are used, and the final design is produced using a century old, hand operated press. Intensely coloured inks and carefully chosen papers are used to complement designs rich in pattern and texture. Three Bears Prints bring a smile to your face and convey my passion for the natural world and print making.